EU naval commanders believe more than 120 pirates from multiple Somali clans are now operating at sea in a coordinated resurgence that has seen six commercial vessels hijacked since April, raising questions over whether current naval resources are sufficient to contain the threat

But accused seafarers have left country and shadow fleet tanker now scrapped

China’s largest shipping company pushes back against US spy allegations as tensions simmer ahead of Trump-Xi summit

Ukraine’s escalating attacks on Russian Black Sea ports are disrupting grain exports during the peak wheat shipping season, squeezing vessel availability, forcing exporters to seek alternative routes and prompting importers to diversify supply

Saudi and Emirati shipping continue to find themselves in Iranian crosshairs, as two seafarers have been confirmed as killed on a tanker attacked in the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week

Clyde & Co draws comparison between Strait of Hormuz crisis and 1956 Suez closure, which saw cases come to court many years later

US strikes on Iranian mine-laying assets and two reported government tankers have signalled a potentially significant escalation in maritime deterrence, as Washington appears to adopting a new ‘tanker-for-tanker’ response to attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz

The release of hijacked vessel Lutuf after a Turkish-backed military operation highlights a more capable and adaptive Somali piracy threat, exposing vulnerabilities in traditional shipboard defences and signalling a stronger international response

Both tankers were hit at such similar times that security analysts in the region suggest a coordinated or closely related series of attacks

Tankers in the Black Sea are adopting improvised anti-drone defences, but analysts question their effectiveness against more sophisticated aerial and naval drones